I Screwed up! Really!!

When we last connected on the grocery budget I had just over $37 remaining to spend for the week.

I went to four stores to use the remainder of this week's money. 

Let's take a Look at My Grocery Run!

Store #1: SAMS

Earlier this week, we were passing by SAMS and I remembered that we had a $10 gift card that they gave us when we renewed our membership recently.

 Major foreshadowing!! 

 

I was stopping by a store with the express purpose of spending grocery money and I had not brought along my grocery envelope. 

I bought:  

18 oz. portobello mushrooms  -  I know they are more expensive than button mushrooms.  But, we like them so much better that it's worth the extra buck to us. 

5 pounds of organic sweet potatoes -  Because these have actual nutritional value, they made me feel better about the final item on the list. 

Big bag of brown sugar - I know!  It's bad for me and contains nothing but empty calories.  But, I have FIVE college age young men coming to my house on Sunday evening to play a rousing five hour (I'm not kidding) game of Dungeons and Dragons.  My son, James, is the dungeon master.  I have no idea what that means.  But, I do know that it means that I need SUGAR!  Seriously! I am making a huge pan of gingerbread, strawberry/rhubarb crisp, and a bodacious number of egg salad sandwiches.  And, even then, I don't know if I will keep them filled up. 

What I spent:  $4.96 after the register took off my $10.00 gift card.  

Store #2: ALDI (two trips)

 Aldi is one of my favorite places to shop!  Their prices nearly always rival traditional supermarkets.  Their quality has improved vastly in the past couple of decades and they are consistently introducing new products.  They have both an organic and gluten free line of products.  

I popped in this week especially for their great sale on grapes:  $.79 a pound!  

What I spent:  (Trip 1) Lots of grapes:  $3.46

 You just can't beat $.98 for a gallon of milk at Aldi!

I added:

A bottle of lemon juice
10 pounds of potatoes
A jar of sweet pickle relish.

What I spent:  (Trip 2) $7.60

 

Store #3: WALMART

 

I have never found a cheaper price on no-salt tomatoes!  Walmart leads the pack in the thrifty canned tomato market.  Each large 32 oz. can is $1.24. 

What I spent:   $5.01

Store #4: KROGER

See this post for my tips on shopping at Kroger. 

What I spent: 

$5 off 5 items:
Buy any combination of 5 and get $5 off of your total! 

Edys Ice Cream.  Coffee flavored!  Yum!  $2.49

Kroger Shredded Cheese:  32 oz.  Kroger had sent me a $1.25 coupon in the mail!  $3.74

 Santa Cruz Organic Lemonade:  2 jars.  $.99 each!
Cheerios: $1.89  I had loaded a $.50 coupon on my Kroger card and it didn't take it off.  Always double-check your receipt before leaving the store!  😞

Sales Flyer Items:  

 

 Strawberries - 2 pound containers - $1.25 a pound!  I got 4 pounds.  $5.00

Fresh peaches - $.69 a pound!  Great price!  I spent $2.32

Markdowns in the produce section:

Kroger kale salad mix.  5 ounce bag.  $1.29

A large 4 ounce container of fresh basil $.99
 
Anything in a red bag on the produce markdown rack is just $.99!  This basil will become a large batch of pesto.  We plan freeze some of it for later use on brown rice or pasta.

The rest of it will be used on basil toast. 

Basil Toast:

 Directions: 

Toast some pieces of bread (day old is great for this recipe!)
Rub the toast slices with a piece of fresh garlic.
Add some of the pesto.
Top with diced fresh tomato.
Drizzle with some good balsamic vinegar (optional)

The question on everyone's mind is:

Did I Spend More than $80?

The answer is:  YES!  

Believe me, I am just as surprised as you are!   When I left this morning I was very careful to spend just money I had in my cash envelope.  I came home with  $1.56.  

$1.56 was left in my cash envelope

But, when I entered the totals into Every Dollar, I found that I had actually spent $83. 49.  How was this possible??!!  

That's when the sad truth came to me.  Out of habit, I had scanned my debit card ONE time this week for one single purchase The self-check at SAMS doesn't take cash!  I had apparently forgotten to take the money from the envelope when I got home.  Drat!  I had tried to be so careful! 

The $3.49 was almost the exact amount of the ten pounds of potatoes from Aldi.  I thought - seriously - about taking the potatoes back so that I would be right at $80 for the week.  But, really, I need them for the shepherd's pie that I am making.  Also, I believe that being totally transparent about my mistakes is really important.  

So, there it is!  I messed up! 

However, in an effort to end the month having spent no more than $320, I will subtract $3.49 from next week's grocery allotment.  

The lesson I learned this week is:  

Always spend from your cash envelope!  

Stay with me as I attempt to spend no more than $320 this month to feed a family of seven.  Next week we start with $76.51 to spend for the week.

Clearly I need more of your tips and encouragement! 

  So, please help me out and enter my June contest!

If you've not already entered, head over to our contest page!  Click here!  You can read all about my June food budget challenge and enter for the chance to win a copy of  of one of my favorite books, Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half, by Steve and Annette Economides.

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Remember, 

Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope